So as ever we have been working like the clackers trying to meet impossible deadlines! My sister is coming to visit with Brock, Mia and Oliver, so we needed to get another room ready. As although this is a big house in terms of surface space we do not have a lot of bedrooms to put people up in.

We have been working hard to get the mezzanine ready to make into a temporary bedroom for Mia. Now one thing leads to another, as it often does. Which means that in order to get the mezzanine ready I needed to do the beams in the living room as otherwise if I did them afterwards it would make a mess on the ‘done’ mezzanine floor. So doing the beams involves scrapping off any plaster and paint, hovering off the dust and then coating in oil. They look fab, and there is a lot of beam exposed in that room. So huge faff that it was, I am glad I have done it.

Which leads onto the mezzanine, the floor has been cleaned up and oiled, we have put a handrail on the wall for the steep stairs, which have also been oiled. We have put a double bed up there and created a beautiful bedroom for the lovely Mia. Photos below. Now before anyone makes any comments, yes the bed is a tight squeeze/perfect fit and yes it is precariously close to the edge. Which is why it is screwed to the floor!! It ain’t going nowhere, and nor is Mia!

We have also finished off the bridge, so as long as you don’t leave the porte fenetre open in the living room, this is, for the first time, a ‘safe’ house!! Don’t get me wrong there is still plenty of things to trip up on, the floor surfaces are still uneven!

We have also semi plumbed in our bathroom, we have a working toilet, a make shift sink with a working cold tap and the beginnings of a bath!! We were hoping to have it done before our visitors arrive but we ran out of time, and energy!

The mezzanine bedroomThe rope handrailA bed in the sky

A makeshift sinkOur bath, poised and ready but not quite plumbed!An elegant looThe bridge with rails so no one can fall throughSafety on the back terraceThe oiled beams